James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Global Ceramic Whetstone | Knife Sharpening Stone, Rough Grit 120
56 sec read
Many modern high-end knives are built with steel so hard that the edge chips if used improperly. Micro-chips may not cause problems, but visible chips do. To restore a jagged edge, you either need the help of the factory or a special tool and some time to reflect on your mistakes. The Global Ceramic Whetstone with its 120 grit isn’t really very rough, but it’s the grade of stone you’ll need to erase those occasional misfortunes.
Global’s stones mimic the old Japanese waterstone pattern, much better for kitchen applications than the European oilstones. Simply wet the whetstone with ordinary water — not spit or petroleum oil or kerosene — and the stone is ready to use. Natural waterstones require soaking, but this synthetic only needs a surface sheen of clean water. Sanitary advantages for food prep are obvious.
A rubber base grips countertop or table securely, and the 7/8 inch height gives plenty of working room even for ham-handed chefs. All it takes is skill and patience. The technique really isn’t hard to learn, but it’s something many people avoid learning, preferring the quicker solution of sharpening systems with guides or simply a brand new knife. With the best cutlery you accept more challenges, including proper care of the blade. The results are worth the extra effort.
Meant as the first of a set of three grades of stones, this coarse grit whetstone should rarely be necessary. Coarse grinding becomes crucial only when a blade is seriously damaged or the bevel becomes too abrupt for honing with a fine grit stone. Used properly, it’s a fresh start.
James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
The Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
Many modern high-end knives are built with steel so hard that the edge chips if used improperly. Micro-chips may not cause problems, but visible chips do. To restore a jagged edge, you either need the help of the factory or a special tool and some time to reflect on your mistakes. The Global Ceramic Whetstone with its 120 grit isn’t really very rough, but it’s the grade of stone you’ll need to erase those occasional misfortunes.
